Los Angeles, CA | Permanent Records is opening a combination bar, music venue and record store in Cypress Park this fall: Shut up and take our money: One of our favorite record stores in L.A. just announced a new location, and this time, it’ll include a bar—not that we need any help loosening the grip on our wallets when we step into one of Permanent Records’ shops. The Chicago-founded vinyl vendor and record label carved out a space for itself with walls of new and used records (not to mention cassettes, stereo equipment and merch) in its outposts in Echo Park and Highland Park, but for its next trick, the record store is taking over one of Cypress Park’s stalwart music venues, Cafe NELA. “The current owner, Dave Travis, has owned the venue for the past six-plus years, where he has hosted nearly 1,100 shows,” Permanent Records owner Lance Barresi posted today via the shop’s social media accounts. “Dave has done a great service to the local music community, but the time has come for him to move on, and fortunately he’s chosen us as his successor. As great appreciators of Dave’s work, we’re excited for the opportunity to expand on what he started.”
Providence, RI | Armageddon Time: Making the rounds at a West Side record store. Aside from selling goods, record stores have turned into a place dedicated to preserving, rediscovering, and curating solid-state music in a way that is defiant to current trends of consumption. Not merely a holdover from a bygone era, the record shop is a place dedicated to the particular corners of a community. Music is discussed, traded, and argued over. Neil Young and The Young Adults find themselves glanced at in the same finger-flip through the racks. Maybe they both end up bought, maybe they get passed over, but that moment is what a record shop is all about. It’s not a place to get some preconceived item, it’s a place to find the unexpected. It delivers a desire for music not typed into Google, but rather physically stumbled upon and scratched out of vinyl, or rolled through a near-endless coil of tape.
San Antonio, TX | Best Record Store: Hogwild Records: Hogwild Records has been an important player in SA’s music scene for decades. The store, located across from San Antonio College, provided the indie alternative to big chains like Sound Warehouse in the ’80s and Best Buy in the ’90s. These days, though, Hogwild is the designated survivor. In an era when record stores are dying and rock music’s cultural cachet has decreased markedly, the shop is still flying the flag for releases and bands too heavy, too confrontational or just too fucking weird to earn a spot at Hot Topic. Vinyl has enjoyed a well-publicized resurgence in the past 10 years or so, and Hogwild naturally has that market cornered. But its well-stocked vinyl racks aren’t a response to a national trend. Instead, they’re a well-worn bulwark against trends. In the days when vinyl could be found exclusively in used bins, Hogwild proudly stocked everything from 7-inch singles to LPs. If the world finally caught up, that’s cool, but ultimately of no consequence. Sometimes being different means not being different. If the game is consistent quality, it’s no wonder Hogwild keeps clearing the board.
UK | Factory Records celebrates 40th anniversary with box-sets and major exhibitions: You can even own a Factory Records egg timer (sort of). Legendary record company Factory Records is celebrating its 40th anniversary with two box-sets and two major exhibitions devoted to the label. Factory was home to bands such as Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, James and The Durutti Column. The first box-set, ‘Use Hearing Protection’, compiles the first 10 records and memorabilia to receive a Factory Records catalogue number. The second box, ‘Factory: Communications 1978-1992’, features 63 songs from Factory’s 15-year history. One exhibition, also titled Use Hearing Protection, is at Chelsea Space from September 13-October 25. It features exhibitions of the first 50 items until 1982 with a Factory catalogue number, including works by Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio and The Durutti Column, as well as Factory’s acclaimed designer Peter Saville. Entry is free. An expanded version of the Use Hearing Protection exhibition will open in July next year. It’s currently being developed by The Science And Industry Museum in Manchester.
London, UK | Untapped wine & vinyl listening parties at Flat Iron Square: Flat Iron Square is launching UnTapped, a new series of wine and vinyl listening parties, held at the Tap & Bottle wine bar in the venue’s loft space. Much-loved records will be brought to life at the event, with a special guest who was involved in the production or was close to the artist on hosting duties, providing anecdotes and sharing memories about the making of the music. A wine expert will also be on hand to provide three tasters of wine and explain why they’ve been paired with the record. Island Records is taking charge for the first two events. First up is Amy Winehouse’s Frank, hosted by Amy’s first manager, close friend and A&R Nick Shymansky, followed by Grace Jones’ Slave To The Rhythm, hosted by writer, broadcaster and author of Grace Jones’ biography I’ll Never Write My Memoirs Paul Morley.
